Good Kid in Trouble

By Annette Whitaker-Moss

Eric Wilson has always been obedient, quiet, and somewhat nonchalant.  He's an observer who seems to have no time for the nonsense that surrounds him.  As he searches for a secluded spot to gather his thoughts, he finds himself in a predicament where the odds are against him and the path of life, as he intended, may be driven in a different direction. Good Kid in Trouble is a novel that portrays a juvenile's character, judgment, mistakes, lessons learned, and a praying parent to see him through his ordeal.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rose Bud Imaginations
• Release date: Feb 11, 2013
• ISBN: 9780989765701

Annette Whitaker-Moss

Growing up in Houston, Texas, Annette began writing poetry at a very early age. Her ability to express herself in that form of writing led to her first book of poetry, One Heart to Another and later her second book of poetry, Another Heart to Another. Her work has been featured in many collections of poetry, published worldwide. Writing has always come naturally to her, so after she achieved her goal of writing her first book of poetry, Annette went on to write her first novel, Good Kid in Trouble. She plans to move on to different genres as she continues to do what she enjoys most. Her expressions of faith, joy, pain, and love are what encourage her to keep writing and connecting to people on different levels. Her writings appeal to the heart and soul of all readers.

Book preview

GOOD KID IN TROUBLE

______________________

ANNETTE-WHITAKER-MOSS

Rose Bud Imaginations

Copyright © Annette Whitaker-Moss

Good Kid in Trouble is based on a true story.

Some of the characters and incidents are fiction

and should not be interpreted as real.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Rose Bud Imaginations

www.annettewhitaker.com

––––––––

ISBN 978-0989765701

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

To My God

Thank you Lord, for I know I am truly blessed. You have given me the talent to write and the perseverance to share with others your love and grace. May the God given talent you’ve given me always glorify your name!

To My Family

Words cannot express my gratitude for your support and encouragement. This book would not have been possible without each of you believing in me and inspiring me to move forward.

To My Friends and Spiritual Encouragers

Andrea Lightfoot, Alesa Rivers, Sharon Lynch-Blosse, Paulette Wall, Elaine Prejean, Deborah Harris, and Benita Moses, the unique bond that I share with each of you is my safe haven as I write. Being in my corner no matter what I try to accomplish means more than you can imagine. I am so thankful that God put each of you in my life!

SPECIAL THANKS

To my editor –

FirstEditing.com

To my book cover designer -

Cover2Cover Book Design

Dedicated to my children

LaTashia

Raenetra

Devin

May this book demonstrate the love we share and always remind you that nothing is too complicated for God to resolve!

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Dedication

Introduction............................................................

Chapter One - It Was Like Music to Her Ears..................

Chapter Two - Quiet but Somewhat Secluded...............

Chapter Three - His New Environment............................

Chapter Four - Negative Attention..............................

Chapter Five - He Appeared to Be Labeled..................

Chapter Six - They Rushed to Cheer a Good Fight........

Chapter Seven – Catastrophes...................................

Chapter Eight - The Trip to Washington, DC................

Chapter Nine - The Incident at School.........................

Chapter Ten - Alternative Education Program..............

Chapter Eleven - Remarks from the Teachers..............

Chapter Twelve - The Constable’s Visit.....................

Chapter Thirteen - The Verdict.................................

Chapter Fourteen - Importance of the Journey............

Introduction

Today’s children are surrounded by bad influences such as sex, drugs, bullies, guns, cyber stalking, inappropriate relationships, and many other occurrences in the world. As parents, we pray, hope, and believe that our teachings will prevail. But when they don’t, and our children are thrown off track for a day, a week, a month, or a season, how do we help them recover and renew their minds so that they become the productive individuals they were meant to be? How do we teach them not to conform to the ways of the world: gossiping, name calling, threats, cruelty, back stabbing, cheating, and lying? As a mother, I know that giving up is not an option. As a Christian, I also know that God has never given up on any of us. Some may say we were born into sin and there’s no way to escape it. But that’s not true. God gave each of us a way out. He gives all of us countless chances to do what is right, as we learn to renew our minds and change our attitudes so that we don’t conform to the ways of the world. We can’t give up on those He has put in our care: our children. But what do we do when we receive that phone call...the worst call we can imagine, informing us that our children are in trouble? When our heart feels like it’s falling from our chest and there’s no doctor or medical facility close enough to stop the obvious impact, will we put into practice our spiritual teachings that sustain us every day? Even if we manage to stop our hearts from falling long enough to say, I’m on my way, without God, what will we do when we get there? Based on a true story, these are the circumstances facing a family who are very optimistic that lessons will be learned, and success shall follow throughout their child’s life. When all is said and done, what will you see: a troubled kid, or a good kid in trouble? Before you proceed to judge, remember 2 Corinthians 5:10 (NKJV) says: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Chapter One

It Was Like Music to Her Ears

With eyes tightly shut, she stretched her arms out as far as she could while trying to find the alarm, but in frustration knocked it to the floor. She dreaded going to work. She and her supervisor just didn’t get along, and the confrontations were becoming so brutal that it was taking its toll on her mind and body. She knew it wouldn’t be long until she was fired.

Carla had already scheduled a 1:30 p.m. doctor’s appointment for that day. She wasn’t feeling well the day before, and thought maybe she should see her doctor. To her surprise, she had made it through the day without any confrontations with the supervisor. Now it was time to visit her doctor, and all she wanted to hear was Dr. McBride say, Mrs. Wilson, everything is fine...see you next year.

The receptionist greeted her with a smile, told her to have a seat, and that the doctor would see her in a few minutes. Carla read a few magazines and checked her voice messages on her cell phone. She was just about to begin a word puzzle when she was called into the examining room, and it wasn’t long afterwards that Dr. McBride entered. As usual, he started with small talk and smiles, knowing that Carla was afraid of needles. This was his way of relaxing her before it was time to draw blood. Meanwhile, Carla explained to him how she had not been herself lately. I don’t seem to have much energy, she said. And I sometimes feel weak, rather dizzy.

His first question was, Are you under any type of stress? No more than usual, she said. She also told him that her cycle seemed to be off from month to month. One month she hardly noticed it, and then the next month it didn’t want to stop. He said stress can cause an unusual cycle, but he would take a urine sample and run a few tests, just to be safe. He asked her to come back for the results in two weeks. She felt better mentally, and was glad she did not have to return to the office that day.

Carla worked as a representative for a large mutual fund company, helping those with money make wise decisions suitable for retirement. The problem, in Carla’s opinion, was that the company did not offer wise investments. Clients complained constantly that their life savings were being depleted, and broker fees were too expensive. Last week, a lady in her late seventies held back tears as she explained to Carla that her retirement fund was all she had left. The tears began to pour as she muttered, I had to sell stocks this month to pay for food and electricity.

If the market continues downward, I don’t know how I’m going to live.

Another client explained, "My wife and I paid off all our debts and moved to Florida. We thought there was enough money to cover our living expenses till the day we die.